1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates to a self-retracting oxygen conduit for coupling between an oxygen reservoir and a respirator adapted for releasable attachment to the face of a human being.
2. Description Of The Prior Art
At present, conventional hospital, convalescent home and respiratory therapy treatment involves the extensive use of oxygen and oxygen enriched gas to increase the supply of oxygen to a patient. According to present practice, oxygen is supplied to a patient through a uniform, flexible, hollow annular tubing. One end of the tubing is connected to a facial respirator, such as an oxygen face mask or nasal cannula. The other end of the tubing is connected to the outlet nozzle of the pressure regulator on a steel bottle containing oxygen or oxygen enriched gas. The tubing employed as the connecting conduit, according to present practice, is typically about ten feet in length, even though the oxygen bottle is normally carried or transported much closer to the respirator device.
The respirator inlet and the oxygen reservoir outlet are normally separated by a distance of no more than about two feet. The additional length of oxygen conduit is necessary to accomodate changes in the position of the user wearing the respirator, movement of the user's head, relocation of the oxygen reservoir, and other relative movement between the user wearing the respirator and the oxygen reservoir. Failure to provide a sufficient length of oxygen conduit can result in inadvertant decoupling of the conduit from either the respirator or the oxygen reservoir, or difficulty in manipulating and moving the oxygen reservoir and the user together. Critical time can be lost if manipulation of the position of the user and the oxygen reservoir is hindered by the fact that the oxygen conduit is too short. When treating a patient in an emergency situation any loss of time can result in death or serious injury to the patient. Consequently, a generous length of connecting conduit is supplied for connection between a facial respirator and an oxygen reservoir in the environment of hospital emergency rooms, hospital convalescent rooms, respiratory therapy centers, and the like.
Because a considerable length of conduit tubing is provided between a facial respirator and an oxygen reservoir in order to maintain a supply of oxygen while a patient moves, or is moved about, long loops of slack tubing are typically present when the oxygen reservoir is at its normal proximity relative to the patient or other user. In many instances the user carries the oxygen bottle in a pouch suspended from a strap worn over the user's shoulder. In other instances the oxygen bottle is carried in the same type of pouch suspended from a strap slung over the back of a wheelchair or carried on a hospital cart or gurney. Usually, the oxygen reservoir is seldom separated from the facial respirator by a distance of greater than two feet. With a conventional ten foot length of oxygen tubing there is therefore a great deal of slack in the conduit connecting the oxygen reservoir to the facial respirator.
The existence of slack lengths of oxygen tubing has presented considerable problems. The slack loops of tubing frequently become entangled in the wheels and axles of hospital carts and wheelchairs. Also, the slack loops are frequently caught in clothing and doors and not infrequently become hooked about the arms and handles of wheelchairs and other devices employed in hospitals, convalescent homes, and locations where respiratory therapy is conducted. The snagging of oxygen tubing while a patient and an oxygen reservoir are moved is at least inconvenient and upsetting to the patient, and can be quite dangerous. An oxygen mask can be abruptly yanked from the face of the patient when the connecting conduit is suddenly snagged. Also, critical time in the treatment of a patient can be lost in freeing a fouled oxygen conduit.